Community Events Calendar

This calendar lists community events related to the First 2000 Days Network. Any event related to improving the early childhood development landscape, or events directly related to the First 2000 Days Network can list their events here.

Target Audience

Teachers, SLPs, Para-educators and teams who serve children and youth with complex communication needs. Additional team members including OTs, Administrators, Assistive Technology Staff and Parents of students who have communication systems are encouraged to attend.

About this learning opportunity

This workshop will provide an overview of early intervention communication services and supports for young children with significant disabilities. It will include perspectives about disability and the critical role communication plays in early development. Clinical myths about communication services and supports will be presented and debunked with evidence.

As well, the workshop will review the roles of early intervention teams including families, coaching, technological advances and current clinical practice trends. A range of resources will be provided for you to access on an ongoing basis.

This learning opportunity is being provided through funding from Alberta Education and is supported by the Communication Science Disorders Department of the University of Alberta and the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary.

About the facilitator(s)

Rose A. Sevcik, Ph.D. is Regents Professor of Psychology at Georgia State University, Atlanta and Co-Director of the Center for Research on the Challenges of Acquiring Language and Literacy (RCALL) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Her funded research program focuses on the language, literacy and communication development of children and youth with significant developmental disabilities. Dr. Sevcik has an extensive publication record and has given numerous presentations to national and international audiences. She is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC), and the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). She is past President of AAIDD’s Communication Disorders Division and former Coordinator for ASHA’s Special Interest Division 12: AAC. She has served as the Associate Editor for Language for the Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research and for the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication. She is a member of the National Joint Committee on the Communication Needs of Individuals with Severe Disabilities and serves as USSAAC’s representative to ISAAC’s Board of Directors.

MaryAnn Romski, Ph.D. is a certified speech-language pathologist and Regents Professor of Communication, Psychology, and Communication Sciences and Disorders at Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. She is Director of the Center for Research on Atypical Development and Learning (CRADL). She received the Honors of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) in 2015 and is a Fellow of the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), ASHA, and the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Her funded research program focuses on the communication development of children with developmental disorders who encounter difficulty speaking, particularly the development and evaluation of computerized communication interventions. Dr. Romski has published 3 books, more than 100 articles and chapters, and has given numerous national and international presentations. She is extending her intervention research in South Africa. She serves as Associate Editor for Infants and Young Children and Augmentative and Alternative Communication and is the past chair of the National Joint Committee (NJC) on the Communication Needs of Individuals with Severe Disabilities and remains AAIDD’s representative.